Shirley panel will explore joining regional dispatch

SHIRLEY -- Despite expressing concerns when asked to join the regional dispatch center on Devens in 2011, Shirley selectmen will appoint an ad hoc committee to look at whether joining the center now would make financial sense for the town.

Selectman Robert Prescott said the committee overseeing the center, which is chaired by Lunenburg Town Manager Kerry Speidel, recently came before the board to explain how it was working for the member towns.

Lunenburg, Lancaster, Devens and Harvard are currently part of the regional dispatch center. Prescott said the four tows are considering allowing other towns to join the center.

In declining its offer to join the dispatch center in 2011, Shirley selectmen expressed concern about too many "what its," including chaos they feared could arise from running a multi-community dispatch center.

Those concerns included multiple emergency calls coming in at once, regional dispatchers' unfamiliarity with town streets, and having no on-site dispatcher at the station on off hours if a resident needed help.

At the time, Selectman Kendra Dumont also expressed concern about the savings that could be realized because they were being dubbed as only projections.

"We don't have the luxury of taking a chance," she said.

At the time, dispatch officials projected the town could save the town at least $100,000.

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"The difference now is there isn't anything rushing it," Prescott, who was not on the board in 2011, said Wednesday afternoon. "We can look at what it has and what it will cost us."

Prescott said the town is on the verge of putting $500,000 of infrastructure needs into the station in the coming years to meet state standards, and now is the time to look at all options.

"The police seem to be very happy with it. There's a whole bunch of things you have to look at. Every town is different in how you're going to deal with things," he said.

The committee will be appointed Monday night.

Messages left for Dumont and Selectman David Swain were not returned Wednesday.

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